Ledecky sets to claim 5th gold

AFP, KAZAN (RUSSIA): Katie Ledecky of the United States remains on course to win a fifth gold in Kazan, while a 10-year-old from Bahrain made history on Friday at the world swimming championships.
The 18-year-old Ledecky has been the outstanding performer in the Kazan pool, winning golds in the 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle, plus anchoring the US women's 4x200m freestyle relay win.
The teenager has twice lowered her own 1,500m world record in Kazan and clocked the fastest time of 8min 19.42sec in the morning's 800m heats to qualify for Saturday's final.
Bahrain schoolgirl Alzain Tareq, believed to be the youngest swimmer to ever compete at a world championships, caused a splash when the 10-year-old swam in the 50m butterfly heats.
She finished last overall of the 64 competitors who raced the event after swimming 41.13sec and was 15sec off the fastest time of 25.43 by Sweden's world record-holder Sarah Sjostorm, who swam in a later heat.
The pint-sized Tareq spent an hour answering a flood of questions in crystal-clear English from the scrum of media, and several of the swimming world's elite commented that they
were surprised to see her competing.
US star Missy Franklin, who won six world golds two years ago in Barcelona, is charmed.
There is currently no age restriction on swimmers competing at either a world championships or an Olympics and Tareq has said she wants to swim at next year's Rio Games.
Franklin, who has won two bronze medals so far in Kazan, was the second fastest through to Friday night's 200m backstroke final.
She clocked 0.67sec behind the 2:07.17 posted by Hungary's 'Iron Lady', Katinka Hosszu, who has already won the 200m individual medley world title in Kazan.
Australia's Emily Seebohm, who was seventh fastest through at 2.27sec, is bidding to complete the backstroke double after winning the 100m gold on Monday.
With reigning world champion Cesar Cielo having flown home to Brazil with a shoulder injury, France's Florent Manaudou was the fastest into the evening's 50m freestyle semi-finals.
Reigning 100m butterfly world champion, Chad le Clos of South Africa, was eighth fastest, at 0.92sec, into Friday night's semi-finals behind Laszlo Cseh's 50.91.

 

Ledecky sets to claim 5th gold

AFP, KAZAN (RUSSIA): Katie Ledecky of the United States remains on course to win a fifth gold in Kazan, while a 10-year-old from Bahrain made history on Friday at the world swimming championships. The 18-year-old Ledecky has been the outstanding performer in the Kazan pool, winning golds in the 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle, plus anchoring the US womens 4x200m freestyle relay win. The teenager has twice lowered her own 1,500m world record in Kazan and clocked the fastest time of 8min 19.42sec in the mornings 800m heats to qualify for Saturdays final. Bahrain schoolgirl Alzain Tareq, believed to be the youngest swimmer to ever compete at a world championships, caused a splash when the 10-year-old swam in the 50m butterfly heats. She finished last overall of the 64 competitors who raced the event after swimming 41.13sec and was 15sec off the fastest time of 25.43 by Swedens world record-holder Sarah Sjostorm, who swam in a later heat. The pint-sized Tareq spent an hour answering a flood of questions in crystal-clear English from the scrum of media, and several of the swimming worlds elite commented that they were surprised to see her competing. US star Missy Franklin, who won six world golds two years ago in Barcelona, is charmed. There is currently no age restriction on swimmers competing at either a world championships or an Olympics and Tareq has said she wants to swim at next years Rio Games. Franklin, who has won two bronze medals so far in Kazan, was the second fastest through to Friday nights 200m backstroke final. She clocked 0.67sec behind the 2:07.17 posted by Hungarys Iron Lady, Katinka Hosszu, who has already won the 200m individual medley world title in Kazan. Australias Emily Seebohm, who was seventh fastest through at 2.27sec, is bidding to complete the backstroke double after winning the 100m gold on Monday. With reigning world champion Cesar Cielo having flown home to Brazil with a shoulder injury, Frances Florent Manaudou was the fastest into the evenings 50m freestyle semi-finals. Reigning 100m butterfly world champion, Chad le Clos of South Africa, was eighth fastest, at 0.92sec, into Friday nights semi-finals behind Laszlo Csehs 50.91.